Life jackets
There are lots of water activities to do at Halong Bay e.g. swimming, kayaking, snorkelling etc. Do wear a life jacket because Halong Bay is in deep water which is not so clear even though the water is calm most of the time due to the surrounding limestone islands. Also, follow the group because it is easy to get lost and always remember how your junk boat looks like because there are many of them and they look almost alike.

 

 

Workshop of handicapped children
The workshop of handicapped children will definitely be a rest stop of your land trip from Hanoi to Halong Bay if you are taking the packaged tour from any of the tour operators in Hanoi. It is not so much of a danger, but the souvenirs and crafts here are very overpriced, and you wonder whether they are really made by handicapped children, and even so, if the money will eventually go to the handicapped children. The good thing is that the people here will not agressively persuade you to buy the souvenirs unlike those shops in China.

Land journey on mini-buses
The land journey from Hanoi to Halong city to take your junk boat is by airconditioned mini-buses. The mini-buses are OK but the road journey is rather bumpy and long (about 3 hours one way) so do take note. You will see houses, flat farmland and rivers along the journey, and there will be one rest stop halfway. The rest stops are a good place to get some food, and do try the ice cream which is very cheap and delicious. When you see some limestone karst on land next to the road, it is an indication that you are approaching Halong city. Once near the city, you will be able to see the sea with the many islands of Halong Bay at a distance.

Boat hopping

Because there are so many junk boats carrying loads of tourists to Halong Bay, sometimes your boat cannot park itself next to the jetty and therefore you need to hop from boat to boat. Be careful and try not to carry too many things with you. The guide and boatmen, as well as other tourists will help you.

Peer group jumping off the boat
It was fun to see adventurous travellers taking a big dive jump off their boat into the not so clear waters of Halong Bay. There is a lot of peer group pressure. If you are not into diving, just use the boat ladder for a more graceful plunge into the water. Saw one person hurt his arm while being pushed off the boat and another must have broken the ear drum because there was a little blood oozing from the ear. So enjoy but be safe.

Overnight on a wooden junk in Halong
Fourteen foreign tourists were rescued Wednesday September 14 in Ha Long Bay after their local wooden junk sunk in a storm, local authorities reported. The junk, Thai Binh Duong (Pacific), began to sink gradually after being unexpectedly hit by a storm while in the world-famous tourist site. But all aboard managed to get into life-jackets before it sank. Marine police forces arrived on time and rescued, besides the foreign tourists, a tourist guide and the crew. Later, leaders of the Ha Long People's Committee and others called on the visitors, who are from South Korea, Germany, Taiwan, Japan, and Israel. 15/Sep/2005 Thanh Nien Newspapers.